Women Fuel China’s Fitness Craze

Wang Xiaoxi works out with her Pilates coach Lili Schloss, founder of Isofit in Beijing.

Xinyuan He/The Wall Street Journal

“Crazy gym devils,” as gym rats are called in China, are generating big sales for the likes of Nike Inc. and Adidas AG. These companies are increasingly focusing their marketing on young women, many of whom now reject the waifish look in favor of toned, strong silhouettes. As WSJ's Alyssa Abkowitz reports:

Wang Xiaoxi once aspired to the skinny arms and legs that fit the traditional Chinese standards of beauty.

These days, however, she works on toning her quadriceps while clad in Nike shoes and Lululemon gear that cost her 5,000 yuan (about $780). Gym fees set her back another 10,000 yuan for six months.

Ms. Wang says her clothes fit better and she sleeps well now, but “my wallet is crying because I always want to buy new workout clothes.”